ਤਿਤਲੀ
titlī/t̪ɪt̪.liː/feminine
The Punjabi word for butterfly is ਤਿਤਲੀ (titlī).
ਤਿਤਲੀ is used to refer to the insect known as a butterfly.
Meaning: insect (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun ਤਿਤਲੀ is feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as titlī (two syllables).
Did you know?
- The word ਤਿਤਲੀ belongs to a family of words in Indo-Aryan languages that used reduplication, such as the double 't' sound, to mimic the fluttering motion of wings.
- In some Punjabi poetic traditions, the movement of a ਤਿਤਲੀ is used as a metaphor for a person's wandering or restless spirit.
- The word shares its ancient lineage with the Bengali word তিতলি, showing how even though the scripts differ, the sounds remain remarkably similar across South Asia.
Examples in context
- ਇੱਕ ਰੰਗੀਨ ਤਿਤਲੀ ਫੁੱਲ 'ਤੇ ਬੈਠੀ ਹੈ।ikk rangīn titlī phull 'te baiṭhī hai.A colorful butterfly is sitting on the flower.
- ਮੈਨੂੰ ਇੱਕ ਨੀਲੀ ਤਿਤਲੀ ਦਿਖਾਈ ਦਿੱਤੀ।mainū ikk nīlī titlī diha'ī dittī.I saw a blue butterfly.
- ਬੱਚਾ ਤਿਤਲੀ ਦੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਭੱਜ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ।baccā titlī dē picchē bhajj rihā hai.The child is running after the butterfly.
Example conversation
Two friends are sitting in a garden watching nature.
- ਹਰਮਨ Hermanਦੇਖੋ, ਉਹ ਉੱਪਰ ਕਿੰਨੀ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਤਿਤਲੀ ਹੈ!dēkhō, uha uppar kinnī sundar titlī hai!Look, what a beautiful butterfly that is up there!
- ਕਿਰਨ Kiranਹਾਂ, ਇਹ ਬਹੁਤ ਪਿਆਰੀ ਲੱਗ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ।hāṃ, ih bahut piārī lagg rahī hai.Yes, it looks very lovely.
- ਹਰਮਨ Hermanਕਿਰਨ, ਕੀ ਤੂੰ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਫੜਨਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈਂ?kiran, kī tū us nū phaṛnā cāhundī haiṃ?Kiran, do you want to catch it?
- ਕਿਰਨ Kiranਨਹੀਂ, ਮੈਂ ਇਸ ਨੂੰ ਉੱਡਦੇ ਦੇਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੀ ਹਾਂ।nahīṃ, maiṃ is nū uḍdē dēṇā cāhundī hāṃ.No, I want to let it fly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “butterfly” translations and entries ਤਿਤਲੀ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ਤਿਤਲੀ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
